Page 12 of Whispers of Redemption

He looked back at her, brows raised.

“I know a lot about cars,” Cassie mumbled.

“Is there anything more you can tell us about the thief or the vehicle he was driving?” Officer Garcia asked.

“I can tell you that it was a black Ford F-150 pickup. But there was dirt on it and too much dust from the road when he took off, so I couldn’t get the license plate number.

“Okay, I guess that’s all we need from you right now,” Officer Riley said, scribbling down that last bit and closing his notebook. “It sounds like our next stop is speaking with your client, Olga Kozlovsky. And we’ll call a tow truck to take your van to the station impound lot.

“Impound lot? No way!” Cassie said. “It’s a company car! Besides, I have another client to take care of.”

“I’m sorry, but it’s now part of our investigation,” Officer Riley said, “We’ll need our evidence tech officer to process it and collect any evidence that may be inside or on the outside of the van. In the meantime, do you need a ride somewhere?” His intense golden gaze was back on her face, and she looked away.

“We can give you a ride home,” Officer Garcia suggested. “Or wherever you need to go.”

“As long as it’s within the city limits,” Officer Riley added, giving his partner another look.

Cassie frowned. The more she thought about what had just happened, the angrier she felt. She dreaded letting Tami and Howard know about the theft and the van. But even more, she worried about Olga. She had no idea how valuable the stolen artwork was. But since all of Olga’s clients were museums and private collectors, this was most likely going to be a very serious issue. What she hated most was that it had happened on her watch. No way was she simply going home to wait for Whispering Pines’ finest to figure out how to get the artwork back.

She looked at Officer Garcia. “Actually, I’d appreciate a lift to Olga’s house. I need to tell her what happened,” Cassie said.

“We will inform her about the theft,” Officer Riley said.

“I’m responsible, so I would appreciate being the one to tell her,” Cassie said sharply, her green eyes flashing.

The two officers exchanged a look, then Officer Garcia shrugged.

“All right,” Officer Riley said, resigned. “I suppose we can allow it.”

“Gee, thanks,” Cassie said with an obvious attitude.

The three of them walked back to the patrol car. Officer Riley opened the back door so Cassie could climb in while Officer Garcia sat in the driver’s seat and called for a tow truck over the radio. As they drove to Olga’s house, Cassie used her cell phone to call Tami and let her know what happened.

“Oh no! Are you okay, Cassie? Are you hurt?” Tami’s voice exploded over the phone.

“I’m fine, Tami. Just incredibly angry, and so sorry,” Cassie said.

“Don’t be silly. This is absolutely not your fault,” Tami said. “Nobody could have predicted this! I hope the police get to the bottom of it quickly.”

I will get to the bottom of it! Cassie thought to herself.

She hung up and, feeling an ache in her jaw, realized she was clenching her teeth. She forced herself to try and relax, taking several slow, deep breaths. Riding in the back of the police car definitely wasn’t helping. It conjured up a lot of negative memories. Like the devastating day she was taken away from her mother. And the time she’d been busted for shoplifting. Then there had been her sudden and traumatic removal from the Myers’ home when she was sixteen.

She and some friends had been caught vandalizing it. And that had been the final straw for the Myers. They’d called her caseworker and demanded she remove Cassie from their home. “She causes way too much trouble,” Cassie recalled Cora Myers saying. “And she’s a negative influence on Ani.”

Ani had been distraught to learn that Cassie was leaving. And Cassie was equally upset. She hated the idea of leaving Ani to fend for herself. The night before she left, the two girls had sat together on Ani’s bed, holding each other in the darkness. While Ani cried, Cassie tried to remain strong for her. “I won’t forget you, Ani,” she’d said. “I’ll visit you, and you can always call me whenever you need me.”

“I know,” Ani had sobbed onto Cassie’s tear-soaked T-shirt sleeve. “But it won’t be the same.”

Cassie knew this was true. She’d felt even more guilty when she found that her new placement was so incredibly different from any home she’d ever been in before. Mark and Rachel changed everything for her. Through their love and support, they’d eventually broken down Cassie’s walls and helped her turn her life around. Under their influence, she finally stopped the illegal street racing, stopped hanging out with destructive people, and started focusing on improving her life.

The patrol car rolled into Olga’s driveway and Cassie felt a wave of dread wash over her. She couldn’t imagine how Olga was going to respond to this.

Officer Garcia opened her door, and the three of them walked up the front steps.

Cassie knocked on the door and Zack opened it. “Is everything okay, Cassie?” he asked, a surprised look on his face as his eyes took in the two officers behind her.

“No, Zack. It’s not,” she replied, but she was cut off from saying anything further by Officer Riley.

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